FLUORESCENCE IMAGING FOR EARLY CANCER LOCALIZATION

IT IS THE OBJECT OF THIS PHASE I STUDY TO DESIGN, ASSEMBLE, AND BENCH TEST A COMMERCIAL PROTOTYPE FLUORESCENCE IMAGING SYSTEM FOR USE IN ENDOSCOPIC LOCALIZATION OF IN SITU CANCER.THIS PROTOTYPE INSTRUMENT IS TO BE BASED ON EXTENSIVE PREVIOUS STUDIES BY THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR IN ENDOSCOPICFLUORESCENCE IMAGING, AND IS DIRECTED AT DEVELOPING A COMMERCIALLY VIABLE SYSTEM. PREVIOUS RESEARCH UNITS DO NOT LEND THEMSELVES TO DIRECT COMMERCIALIZATION DUE TO COST, COMPLEXITY, AND DIFFICULTY OF USE. THIS INSTRUMENT IS BASEDON THE FLUORESCENCE AND TUMOR LOCALIZATION PROPERTIES OF HEMATOPORPHYRIN DERIVATIVE (HPD) OR ITS MORE PURIFIED FORM DI-HEMATOPORPHYRIN-ETHER (DHE). DHE IS PRESENTLY UNDERGOINGCLINICAL TRIALS. PHASE I WILL EMPHASIZE CHARACTERIZATION OFIMPORTANT PARAMETERS AND COMPONENTS ALONG WITH PHANTOM AND BENCH TESTING. PHASE II WILL ENCOMPASS A COMMERCIAL SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT FOR CLINICAL TESTING. IF A RELIABLE COST EFFECTIVE SYSTEM CAN BE DEVELOPED, IT WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POTENTIAL MARKET FOR LOCALIZING EARLY STAGE CANCER IN THE LUNG, BLADDER, STOMACH, CERVIX, AND SKIN.